New Year’s Resolutions: Weight Loss

Making New Year’s resolutions is generally quite easy, but actually starting and sticking to them is even harder.

With 2017 coming to a close, many Canadians will use that time as an opportunity to reminisce and reflect on the year that was as well as the achievements they’ve made and the ones that might not have come into fruition.

Dr. Ali Ghahary, a family physician in Vancouver, says that the most common resolutions patients make almost always have to do with their health. Weight loss, in particular.

As getting and staying motivated can oftentimes be difficult, it can sometimes be hard to achieve your weight loss goals. In fact, it’s not at all uncommon for individuals to be unsuccessful upon their first and even second tries, as in order to have motivation you also need determination. Without it, you’re less likely to succeed. However, not all hope is lost, and there are a few suggestions Dr. Ali Ghahary has for individuals wanting to lose weight in the new year.

The first recommendation Dr. Ali Ghahary makes is to keep a food diary. Writing it down on paper and having that as a reminder of the foods you’re eating is a great way to keep track of the healthy and unhealthy foods you’re putting into your system. If you notice you’re eating a lot of carbohydrates (i.e. white bread and pasta), ask yourself what you can replace those carbohydrates with. Similarly, if you write down foods that contain lots of sugar (i.e. chocolate, sweetened fruit juice, etc.), try to find healthy alternatives. Making a few simple changes to your diet and choosing the right foods can have major benefits for your health in the long run. Dr. Ali Ghahary’s second recommendation when it comes to weight loss would be to get regular exercise. Along with healthy eating, physical activity is also a very important factor for your overall health and can reduce things like diabetes, lower high cholesterol, and decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease.

One of the biggest reasons why we often fail at keeping our new year’s resolutions is because we have impractical goals. Realistically speaking, you’re not going to lose 80 pounds in a month. A more pragmatic expectation for weight loss, says Dr. Ali Ghahary, would be anywhere from 8 to 10 pounds. Once you find a good exercise routine that you can stick to along with the right healthy foods, then you can work your way up and focus on losing more weight.